Comments on: Dear Worship Leader

By: Pastor_T

Pastor_T — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 20:30:51 +0000

Sorry, I didn't "clearly" state what you mentioned in your first comment…..it was clear to me .

I didn't post the letter from the "churchy" person here cuz it didn't resonate for me and I consider myself a churchy person.
When I first started going to church, I could see myself writing this letter…..I can't say that for the other letter, thus the lack of mention.
People can disagree with me all day long, but I'm really not concerned with what the worship leader does Monday thru Saturday. I mean, within reason. He/she can't be a drug addict/alcoholic thru the week and expect that not to come through on Sunday, but he doesn't need to prove anything to me. What the worship leader is to me is someone who sets the bar in worship. He's the lead worshiper more than worship leader. He/she lets me know what is acceptable in that church. He sets the tone, to me, as an unchurchy person. He may be more or less to others, but to new people, they're showing me "HOW" to worship.

By: Russ Hutto

Russ Hutto — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 17:05:50 +0000

Ultimately, you have to read BOTH pieces (there's one from a churchy person too) to see the contrast here.

The one to the churchy person is basically from the other end of the spectrum talking about what INSPIRES them, while the unchurchy person is talking about what IMPRESSES them.

http://russhutto.com/2009/08/dear-worship-leader-...

By: Russ Hutto

Russ Hutto — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 17:03:45 +0000

In the original post it says clearly: Inspired by an article on theworshipcommunity.com by Sarah Markley.

This is a not an "authentic" letter. It is a perspective piece.

Either way, would you not expect anything less from someone who has NO church experience. How could we possibly not expect them to view the world as "all about me?" In fact, I know just as many "churchy" people who view the world as All About Me. So I'm not worried about that.

The point of the "letter" is to provoke discussion, which it is – but to get us churchy people to realize that our "worship" services are very exclusive and confusing to pre-Believers at times. I'm a churchy person and find myself struggling with criticism every time I visit a new church. Why is it so difficult to believe that a unchurchy person would do the same?

By: Pastor_T

Pastor_T — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 12:14:13 +0000

I'm not positive on the authenticity of this letter, but I ASSUME ( probably shouldn't ) that this is a 3rd person letter……or what the writer would think a letter from the unchurched would look like. That's my guess anyway.

By: @apostlethatroks

@apostlethatroks — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 11:48:08 +0000

PT2
I remember when I was first saved how confused I was about the term "born again". If memory serves, I think I pounched on someone (some dried-up old church prune) who didn't even know me yet described me as such. Even as a brand spankin new Christian I knew enough not to take anyone else's word for it. I don't care that I was indeed "born again". I remember vividly how I felt when I walked into my first mega church, and my first 5-member church, and all the churches in between. All of God's answers came in His perfect timing, not mine.

By: @apostlethatroks

@apostlethatroks — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 11:47:49 +0000

There is no indication given here or on Russ's Blog as to the authenticity of this letter. I'm responding on the premise that it is a genuine letter sent by a genuine person to a genuine church worship leader.

After reading it through only once, I'm left with the feeling that the author is either desperate to hear the truth or desperate to provoke. Regardless, this person needs to be aware that this is a church, a worship service, and not the FAITH FESTIVALAPALOOZA.

They also seem to be hung up on perfection…a common misconception. Rather than signing the letter from Unchurchy Person, they would have been more aptly identified as It's All About Me.